Electrode for windmill generators



Y Feb. 15 1938 V H. FoLKERs 2,108,663

ELECTRODE FOR WINDMILL GENERATORS Filed NOV. 25, 1956 Fig. 1.

l 47' 57, 44 Il H 4"" 4a 4b l UI 5 "5b III I| UI 4 H| 56 l I 55 I 4B IIN l I" j 45 /i n 12 I ,l i9 I nl, Illl i9 si() l5 15 I 25 2J i4 mventor Herman Fo lkers.

(Ittorneg Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODE FOR WINDMILL GENERATORS Herman Folkers, Omaha, Nebr.

Application November 25, 1936, Serial No. 112,773

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to windmill generators and more particularly to an arrangement thereof for charging storage batteries.

It is an object of the invention to provide swivel connections between a battery and the generator of a mill, the electrodes of which are so larranged that the paddles and generator of the mill may rotate horizontally or continuously in one direction or in a reverse direction as may be occasioned by changes in the direction of the wind without interrupting the ilow of charging energy from the generator to and from a battery and without twisting or breaking the wire connections between said electrodes and the battery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple construction for the above stated purposes which is certain of operation and of few and economical parts which require no adjustment or attention subsequent to an installation thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of a windmill embodying the present invention carried by a m-ast the latter being fragmentarily illustrated.

Figure 2 is a top plan view on a reduced scale of certain annular electrodes employed.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2 of said electrodes.

Figure 4 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of a modication of a mounting which may be employed for the said electrodes.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 1.

As heretofore practiced in the art windmills have been employed for driving generators for the purpose of charging batteries through electrical connections or wires in communication between a battery and a generator, the latter being on top of the mill and the batteries on the ground or in adjacent buildings or dwellings remote from the mill and said wires have become twisted and broken resultant from the windmill turning continuously in one horizontal direction, thereby twisting and breaking said Wires, said mills often being positioned in isolated relation with respect to a farm house and not susceptible of being readily inspected by the owner have resulted in the batteries becoming completely discharged resultant from said wires becoming broken with attendant lack of lighting about a farm house, barn or the like. Also in instances Where a mill is provided with detents for preventing the generator and paddles from describing a complete horizontal turning movement for preventing breaking of said wires, the same also often prevents the vertically disposed paddles of the mill from being presented to the line of travel of the wind at a right angle whereby the generating efficiency of the mill is lessened, and it is an object of the present invention to provide means for obviating the undesirable practices of the prior art.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description the numeral IU indicates the legs of a mast which may be of any desired height or size, four thereof being preferably employed.

A pump or plunger rod I I is medially positioned with respect to the legs I0 and is adapted to pump water in a well known manner, the present invention being adapted to be assembled upon windmills which have been installed for pumping water as well as windmills erected specifically for the purpose of `charging batteries. The pump rod II derives its motion from the shaft I2 of the paddle wheel through certain conventional gears not illustrated.

The present invention includes a support I3 having a medially disposed aperture I4 which is rectangular in plan, the opposite ends of said aperture being of diierent areas, the smaller end being positioned above on the mast as shown in Figure 1, whereby the shape of the Walls of the aperture I4 cooperate with the inclined outwardly divergent angle iron legs I0 of the mast for supporting a horizontally disposed plate I5, the latter in turn carrying a housing I6.

The housing I6 is maintained horizontally disposed by means of member I'I, opposite ends of which are respectively connected to the housing I6 and to a revoluble sleeve I8 by means of the bolts or keepers I9. The sleeve I8 is adapted to have revoluble movements with respect to a standard 20, the latter being held stationary by any suitable means such as securing it to the upper ends of the legs I0. The plate I5 carries an annular ring electrode 2l and a like smaller electrode 22 by means of the keepers or screws 23 whereby revoluble movements of the sleeve I8 and housing I6 impart corresponding movements to the electrodes 2l and 22 which are respectively in Contact with lower annular electrodes 24 and 25,

the latter being held stationary at all times by r means of screws or keepers 26 which join them to a lower plate of insulation 21, the latter in turn being held stationary by means of bolts 28 which are secured to braces and the latter by means of rivets 29 to the legs I0 of the mast or disc 30 said supporting member, a plurality of arms Xed to said legs and to said insulating plate, a pair of annular electrodes carried by said insulating plate and cooperating With said first pair of electrodes, electrical connections between said rst pair of electrodes and the generator, electrical connections between the second pair of electrodes and the battery, said second pair of electrodes having downwardly extending lugs of reduced cross sectional area to provide downwardly facing shoulders, said insulating plate having apertures for receiving said lugs, and expanding springs surrounding said lugs and en gaging said shoulders and insulating plate to maintain at all times a good electrical contact between the corresponding electrodes of the pairs of electrodes.

HERMAN FOLKERS. 

